Mie\u2019er sulked as he sat on a roof. He\u2019d put on his best outfit and braided his silver hair, adding red silk ribbons and fine silver flowers to it. No one in the castle seemed to notice what a good job he did.<\/p>\n
His panicking tutor was running in the corridors looking for him. Today was his fifteenth birthday but no one cared enough to even give him a day off classes.<\/p>\n
His mother was busy caring for his sister and his father had been swamped with some peace treaty with some human cultivators. He knew why they couldn\u2019t make time for him but it didn\u2019t mean he couldn\u2019t feel shitty about it.<\/p>\n
He hopped off the roof and strolled into the lively streets of Night Vigil City, checking in with the residents about town. It was a much more productive use of his time than memorising poetry and discussing useless lofty ideals.<\/p>\n
Besides, he was all dressed up and everyone on the streets should be allowed to enjoy the sight of his fine handiwork.<\/p>\n
After a day of making sure the snake oil merchants weren\u2019t selling counterfeits, beating a bunch of kids at their skipping games, beating a bunch of old men at their chess games, giving love advice at a teahouse and catching a thieving cat, he figured it was just another regular, uneventful day.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome see! Something\u2019s going on at the castle\u2019s main hall!\u201d someone yelled on the streets. Mie\u2019er wondered what the fuss was about\u2014his father usually was in a meeting or busy with paperwork at this time of day.<\/p>\n
A gaggle of demons crowded around the main hall, peeking in from the huge doors and windows.<\/p>\n
They watched as two foreign visitors sat down next to their lord and started talking. Lord Guishou of Night Vigil City was a tall man with raven black hair and sharp golden eyes. A pair of curled sheep horns rested upon his head.<\/p>\n
The two human guests looked rather plain in comparison. One was dressed in modest black and blue robes while the other was covered in black, complete with a dark veil covering the bottom half of his face.<\/p>\n
The demons outside the hall chattered noisily:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are those stinky humans doing here?\u201d hissed a snake demon.<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking at their dress and swords, they are probably from the Border Mountains Sect,\u201d said a cow-headed man.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t the Border Mountains just south of our city?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, cow-head, you know quite a bit,\u201d said a mouse demon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fought with their disciples once,\u201d boasted the cow-headed man. \u201cThen I came back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean you got your ass whooped,\u201d laughed the snake demon.<\/p>\n
\u201cShhhh! Stop talking so we can hear!\u201d shushed another one.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe young master is here! Quick, make way and let him through!\u201d came a voice from the back.<\/p>\n
The crowd of demons parted hastily, making way for a boy with silver hair and golden eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFather, please explain why these guests are here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cCome, Mie\u2019er,\u201d said Lord Guishou, beckoning the boy over. \u201cVice Sect Leader Qing, Hermit Moon Peak Lord, this is my son, Mie\u2019er. He\u2019s fifteen this year. Ah, right, we age a little slower than humans, so he probably looks younger to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYoung master Mie’er, I\u2019m Qing Lingfeng, head disciple of Crystal Peak and vice sect leader of the Border Mountains Sect,\u201d said the man in blue. Although seated, he cupped his hands to greet the boy at eye level as if greeting an adult of the same rank.<\/p>\n
The man in a dark veil next to him did not bother with a greeting and sat there, silent and cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our Hermit Moon Peak Lord, Lingzhu,\u201d introduced Qing Lingfeng. \u201cHe\u2019s, um, a little reserved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mie’er narrowed his eyes in suspicion but cupped his own hands in greeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you can see, my son is a little spoiled,\u201d said Lord Guishou. \u201cHe\u2019s smart, but he keeps running away from his lessons. The tutors have all but given up on him…\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch is the nature of smart children,\u201d said Qing Lingfeng. Mie\u2019er noticed that this man had a friendly smile and a gentle tone that didn\u2019t feel contrived.<\/p>\n
\u201cMie\u2019er, if you\u2019re going to stay here, sit down and listen quietly,\u201d said Lord Guishou.<\/p>\n
Mie\u2019er nodded, hopping up the chair next to his father\u2019s and gave the two humans an \u2018I\u2019m-watching-you\u2019 glare.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s finish up what we\u2019ve discussed,\u201d said Lord Guishou.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right,\u201d said Qing Lingfeng, taking out a scroll and passing it to the Lord. \u201cAccording to the terms laid out by Sect Leader Qing Wangyue, the Hermit Moon Peak Lord of the Border Mountains Sect shall be staying here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lord Guishou nodded. \u201cI shall prepare the best guest quarters at our residence\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s staying here?\u201d interrupted Mie’er, pointing at the black-dressed Lingzhu.<\/p>\n
\u201cMie\u2019er, let us finish before you voice your opinions,\u201d said Lord Guishou. \u201cAnd don\u2019t point at people. Our guests might find it rude.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApologies,\u201d said Mie\u2019er, giving his father a subtle blep.<\/p>\n
Lord Guishou gave his son a look of exasperation and turned back to his guests.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell then, now that we are agreed, I shall send you the detailed documents in a month.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI shall convey this to our sect leader and the alliance,\u201d said Qing Lingfeng, standing up and getting ready to leave.<\/p>\n
\u201cHermit Moon Peak Lord, I shall have guard captain Heigou show you to the guest quarters,\u201d said Lord Guishou, beckoning a large dog-headed guard who looked exactly as his name suggested*.<\/p>\n
*Heigou = Black Dog<\/em><\/p>\n As Lord Guishou gave Heigou instructions, Mie\u2019er watched Qing Lingfeng take his black-dressed companion aside for a private talk. He kept a sharp eye on them since his father didn\u2019t seem to be doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cLingzhu, if you don\u2019t want this, I\u2019ll try talking to my father,\u201d said Qing Lingfeng, quietly.<\/p>\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll come and visit you when I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Lingzhu ignored him, following Heigou out of the hall without looking back.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d said Lord Guishou. \u201cEveryone in my castle will treat the Hermit Moon Peak Lord as a valued guest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou have my gratitude,\u201d said Qing Lingfeng.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er looked at his father continued trading niceties with Qing Lingfeng and decided to follow Heigou instead.<\/p>\n As they left the main hall, the demons continued their nosy gossiping.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the human cultivators is staying behind?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs he a spy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLord Guishou mentioned he\u2019s a guest, didn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s wearing a veil and not even showing his face! That\u2019s so suspicious!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he needs to show his face to show us he\u2019s not some spy!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah! Show your face, human!\u201d<\/p>\n Lingzhu turned to look at the demons who said that. They took a step back from him.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, keep it down before you offend our guest, you lot,\u201d said Heigou, anxiously looking between them.<\/p>\n Lingzhu took off his veil and revealed the lower half of his face.<\/p>\n \u201c…\u201d went the crowd as they looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cEh, that\u2019s it? No fangs or hidden weapons? So disappointing!\u201d blurted out the cow demon.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought for sure there was something hidden under the veil,\u201d said the mouse demon.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah!\u201d chirped a few more behind them, making disappointed noises.<\/p>\n \u201cShush, you lot,\u201d said Heigou as he ushered the guest to his room.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er sidled up along them and peered up at this black-dressed man\u2019s unveiled face. As the nosy demons said, this Lingzhu\u2019s face was expressionless and disappointingly normal\u2014two eyes, a nose and a mouth, all nicely symmetrical and not too bad, actually\u2026<\/p>\n Lingzhu looked him straight in the face and Mie\u2019er jolted.<\/p>\n \u201c…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you looking at?\u201d blurted out Mie\u2019er, jumping back from the intensity of the stare.<\/p>\n Lingzhu shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung master, don\u2019t antagonise our guest\u2026\u201d said Heigou and hastily ushered Lingzhu away. \u201cPlease come this way, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n Lingzhu fastened his veil back on and turned away.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er pouted. He wasn\u2019t going to let this human get away with ignoring him this easily.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cMie\u2019er, Heigou says you\u2019ve been an absolute nuisance for our guest from the Border Mountains Sect. If you keep doing that, I\u2019ll have to stop you from going to the guest quarters,\u201d said Lady Xilian.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just teasing him a bit. All he had to do is tell me to stop and I\u2019ll stop, I promise,\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n \u201cSooner or later, you\u2019re going to get your ass whooped,\u201d said Lady Xilian, sighing. \u201cAll right, let\u2019s go visit your aunt.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEh? Why?,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cGrandpa and Grandma say she\u2019s a mute who doesn\u2019t understand anything. There\u2019s no point in visiting her.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust take it as doing a favour for me, since she\u2019s my older sister,\u201d said Lady Xilian. \u201cYou\u2019re fifteen already and I want her to take a look at you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll right,\u201d pouted Mie\u2019er. \u201cI\u2019ll do it because you asked so nicely.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou cheeky little thing,\u201d said Lady Xilian, giving him a pinch on the nose.<\/p>\n They entered two guarded gates and walked down a long, spiralling tunnel until they reached the last gate. It was dark but the walls glistened as if dusted with ice. A wind seemed to pick up as they walked in, and the air was cold and filled with spirit aura. The intensity of the spirit aura made it almost hard to breathe.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel sick,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cWhy is Big Auntie staying here? This isn\u2019t a place we should be staying for long.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe is the keeper of this lake and hence cannot leave,\u201d said Lady Xilian.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sucks. She should escape if she doesn\u2019t like it here,\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it were only that easy\u2026\u201d chuckled Lady Xilian.<\/p>\n A young woman looking no older than twelve noticed them, got up from a rock she was sitting on, and hopped over as if playing a game. In his previous visits, he never had to come into the cave. He\u2019d just wait for his mother to chat quickly with his weird aunt.<\/p>\n This time, though, his mother asked him to talk to her.<\/p>\n Looking at her up close, he could see in the dim light of the cave that she had silvery hair and red eyes just like his mother. She looked much younger than her age, and he was sure it wasn\u2019t just demon genetics.<\/p>\n She wouldn\u2019t meet their eyes, made strange humming sounds and flapped her hands. He took a step back and baulked. How was he to talk with someone who couldn\u2019t speak?<\/p>\n She took out a book from a leather pouch.<\/p>\n \u201cRead it,\u201d prompted Lady Xilian.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er read out the words Xiyu pointed out from a worn-out book of poems. She flipped the book to the page she wanted and pointed out a word for him with practised ease.<\/p>\n \u201cGood\u2026?\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n She flipped to another page and pointed, and this went on for a while until Mie\u2019er finished reading\u2014\u201dGood. To. See. You. Mie. Er.\u201d<\/p>\n There wasn\u2019t a word for his name, \u2018sheepie\u2019, in her book, so she had pointed to the nearest sounding word\u2014\u2018eliminate\u2019.<\/p>\n At this moment, he knew for sure his aunt wasn\u2019t the mindless fool his maternal grandparents said she was. He took a deep breath and decided to show her the proper respect she deserved.<\/p>\n \u201cMie\u2019er greets big auntie Xiyu,\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n \u201cSister Xiyu, my Mie\u2019er is of age now,\u201d said Lady Xilian. \u201cI hope you can show him a vision.\u201d<\/p>\n Xiyu bobbed her head and carefully tucked her book back into the pouch. Passing her pouch to Lady Xilian for safekeeping, she tugged at Mie\u2019er\u2019s sleeve.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh? That\u2019s the lake, Auntie. We\u2019ll get wet\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n The water merely brushed his boots, but he could feel a coldness shoot up his whole body and then his world was engulfed in darkness.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cYoung Master? If you\u2019re going to doze off on the veranda, you should go back to your room,\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d said Mie\u2019er, jolting awake.<\/p>\n He got up and dusted off his pleated skirts. Sneaking quietly to the window, he cracked it open and peered in, watching the human inside go about his routine.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy are you always looking at him, anyway?\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why he has to stay with us,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cHe hardly talks and looks like a statue with that stone-face!\u201d<\/p>\n Overhearing the conversation outside, Lingzhu picked up a veil and fastened it over the bottom half of his face.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you not want to let me see your face that much?\u201d said Mie\u2019er from the window when he saw what the human did.<\/p>\n He pouted and pushed open the unlocked door, walking right in to grab a stack of papers from a chair and sift through them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s all this about anyway?\u201d he said, turning the papers around, trying to make sense of the diagrams on them. \u201cThey look like talisman designs but they\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n The human cultivator watched him for a while, and then turned away, taking out a fresh stack of papers to continue his work.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, why won\u2019t you respond?\u201d said Mie\u2019er, waving the stack of papers in his hand. \u201cJust say something and I\u2019ll give them back to you!\u201d<\/p>\n Ignoring me as usual<\/em>, sulked Mie\u2019er. He threw the papers onto the floor, then stormed off in a fit.<\/p>\n Heigou sighed, picked up the papers and added a quick apology on behalf of his temperamental young master.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n In a blink of an eye, it was winter in Night Vigil City. The city streets were quieter as the cold set in. Mie\u2019er spent more time in the castle where it was warmer. Having driven away all his tutors, he\u2019d look for Heigou to spar with and stalk the guest quarters while he was there.<\/p>\n \u201cMother\u2019s been coming here frequently,\u201d sulked Mie\u2019er as they lightly sparred. \u201cShe was here just a few days ago and didn\u2019t even have time to say hi to me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re discussing treatment options for the young mistress,\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cI want my little sister to get well more than anything,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cBut she has to live outside the city and Mother has to stay with her most of the time. Why can\u2019t I just stay with them? I can help take care of her too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLord Guishou needs you here, young master,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cYour regular walks around the city are helping the people quite a bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er tucked away his sword and folded his arms, sulking.<\/p>\n \u201cFather\u2019s busy with work and Mother\u2019s busy taking care of my little sister. Yet they see Stoneface more than they see me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt can\u2019t be helped,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cThe young miss\u2019s condition is getting worse. She needs the help of human cultivators and their medicine. That\u2019s partly why Lord Guishou agreed to the terms of the treaty to host the Hermit Moon Peak Lord from the Border Mountains Sect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd they just left behind a Peak Lord in our house?\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cHis own people must care for him very little, to leave him in Night Vigil City surrounded by demons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung master,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cHave you heard of something called \u2018diplomatic hostage\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that why Stoneface\u2019s so unhappy? What\u2019s he doing in there today anyway?\u201d said Mie\u2019er, turning back to the guest room\u2019s window and pushing it open to peer inside.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s been busy the past few days, we shouldn\u2019t bother\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy is it so quiet? He\u2019s not at the table. The papers look dirty,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cWhy is it\u2026huh? That\u2019s\u2014!\u201d<\/p>\n He dashed to the door and kicked it in. As he entered, he felt a thin spirit barrier pop and the overwhelming smell of blood assaulted his nose.<\/p>\n Papers stained in dried blood were strewn all over the table and floor. A small, lacquered box stood on the table, still slicked in blood. There was blood all over the floor that trailed to the bed. Lingzhu was sitting on the ground, leaning against the bed, his hand pressed against his side.<\/p>\n Heigou quickly checked the human\u2019s pulse. He was alive but weak.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung master, stay here and watch him. I\u2019ll go fetch Physician Hong at once,\u201d said Heigou, turning into a large black dog and bounding off at top speed.<\/p>\n \u201cHey,\u201d said Mie\u2019er, patting the human\u2019s cheek. \u201cDon\u2019t sleep!\u201d<\/p>\n Lingzhu cracked open his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat happened here?\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n He pried Lingzhu\u2019s stubborn hand off and carefully lifted the rag staunching it. Seeing the jagged wound, he baulked. A deep cut across the right side had already been stitched shut with a rough hand. Mie\u2019er grimaced.<\/p>\n Lingzhu pressed his hand to his wound, covering the bloody sight from Mie\u2019er\u2019s eyes. He was pale and wasn\u2019t dressed warmly enough even though it was the beginning of winter. Mie\u2019er didn\u2019t dare move him so he pulled the blankets off the bed and wrapped them around Lingzhu.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, don\u2019t sleep,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cThe physician\u2019s reaching soon.\u201d<\/p>\n Physician Hong arrived soon and with Heigou\u2019s help, they moved Lingzhu to the bed and dressed his wounds.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has quite a bit of internal bleeding,\u201d said Physician Hong, holding Lingzhu\u2019s wrist to gauge his pulse.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s my fault,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cI didn\u2019t check on him yesterday because I thought he was busy.\u201d<\/p>\n Physician Hong pointed at a dark bruise at the bottom of Lingzhu\u2019s neck. \u201cHe paralysed his own voice. You couldn\u2019t have known what he was up to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe even put up a barrier around the room,\u201d said Mie\u2019er. \u201cHe must\u2019ve planned this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow\u2019s he?\u201d asked Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cHe seems fine for now, but his body is too weak,\u201d said Physician Hong. \u201cHis wound should heal, but there\u2019s a substantial amount of internal damage. The rest\u2026is up to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll inform Lady Xilian and Lord Guishou immediately,\u201d said Heigou, bounding off again.<\/p>\n Physician Hong looked at the lacquered box on the table and went over to it, opening it and checking its contents. Looking at the papers on the table, he found a letter carefully placed away from the mess, as if prepared before all this happened.<\/p>\n \u201cThis seems like a letter for the Lord and Lady,\u201d said Physician Hong.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er snatched the letter out of his hands and unfolded it, pursing his lips as he deciphered the bad handwriting.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the box\u2026one for your daughter and one for\u2014ugh, why is his handwriting so hard to read?\u201d grumbled Mie\u2019er. \u201c…if an accident happens\u2026this letter is proof that I died by my own hand…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs this a suicide note? Did he try to kill himself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the contrary,\u201d said Physician Hong. \u201cIt would seem that his gall bladder had ruptured. He had cut it out so he wouldn\u2019t die from blood poisoning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy did it rupture in the first place for no reason?\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have to ask him about it,\u201d said Physician Hong. \u201cFor now, we\u2019ll have to keep him warm and hydrated. This room is too cold for a sick patient.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the days, Mie\u2019er watched as his parents visited the sick human whenever they could. Lady Xilian would bring the warmest furs she could find while Lord Guishou brought him herbs and tonics.<\/p>\n \u201cMie\u2019er,\u201d said Lord Guishou, addressing his son outside the guest room. \u201cCan you keep him company when we\u2019re not around?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy should I?\u201d pouted Mie\u2019er, folding his arms. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t want me around.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm? Why do you say that?\u201d said Lord Guishou.<\/p>\n \u201cHe only ever speaks with you and Mother. He never says a single word to me. Who knows what he\u2019s thinking when his face doesn\u2019t show a single expression.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you tried looking at, hm, his hands instead of his face?\u201d said Lord Guishou.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh? Hands?\u201d blinked Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n Lord Guishou chuckled and patted his son\u2019s head. \u201cJust give it a try.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d said Mie\u2019er.<\/p>\n The next day, he made himself at home in the guest room, glaring at Lingzhu\u2019s sleeping face. It looked like a stone statue, but was still quite pretty, as usual. His face always looked more interesting when a veil didn\u2019t cover it\u2014<\/p>\n And he realised why he never paid attention to Lingzhu\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re awake?\u201d said Mie\u2019er, seeing Lingzhu sitting up on the bed. \u201cI\u2019ll get you some water.\u201d<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er passed him a cup of water, only for Lingzhu to fumble and drop it onto his blanket.<\/p>\n Sighing, Mie’er poured him a new cup.<\/p>\n Lingzhu looked at the cup, then turned his head away, no longer interested.<\/p>\n \u201cFine,\u201d grumbled Mie\u2019er, leaving the cup on the table. \u201cI\u2019m just annoying you anyway, so I\u2019ll leave.\u201d<\/p>\n A few days later, Ye Mingzhu, the Mad Tiger Peak Lord, arrived with orders to bring Lingzhu back to the Border Mountains Sect. Peak Lord Ye was gentle and patient with him as she asked if he wanted more time to say his goodbyes, but he shook his head and left with her.<\/p>\n When Mie\u2019er looked upon Lingzhu\u2019s face for the last time, Lingzhu\u2019s eyes were so cold and distant that Mie\u2019er felt a chill in his stomach. Everything seemed wrong. Lingzhu was finally leaving this demon city that was holding him prisoner, so why did he look so\u2026sad?<\/p>\n After his departure, his mother cried in his father\u2019s arms.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Winter was finally over and the first days of Spring began.<\/p>\n Mie\u2019er found himself at the door of the guest room out of habit. It had been a while, yet everything felt the same. He pushed the door open and peeked inside. It looked recently cleaned, but nothing that Lingzhu left behind had been removed.<\/p>\n Lingzhu\u2019s writing tools were laid out and a messy stack of papers sat under a paperweight. A tea set was placed on the table, waiting to be used.<\/p>\n There was the light fragrance of incense in the room, and an altar that he hadn\u2019t seen had been set up in a corner of the room. When he saw the words carved on the tablet sitting on the altar, his breath trembled when he realised why his mother had cried\u2014<\/p>\n In memory of our guest and treasured friend.<\/em><\/p>\n Everyone knew.<\/p>\n Except him.<\/p>\n They all knew Lingzhu wouldn\u2019t make it through the winter.<\/p>\n Tears rolled down his cheeks as the thought of the human he had come to get used to would never be seen again. He knew his tears wouldn\u2019t change anything.<\/p>\n Yet he continued to cry.<\/p>\n When he woke, he found himself in his mother\u2019s arms. She wiped his tears away and smiled.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2026I don\u2019t want\u2014\u201d he sobbed.<\/p>\n \u201cShh,\u201d hushed his mother. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me what you saw. That was just a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c…a dream?\u201d He blinked and looked around him. He was back at the underground lake where his aunt stayed.<\/p>\n \u201cYes,\u201d smiled his mother. \u201cJust a dream.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf that was a dream, then\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n Once Mie\u2019er realised what could be, he scrambled back onto his feet and ran out of the cave. The dream he had seen was turning hazy and the details began to fade, but he held on tight to the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to have regrets. There was somewhere he had to go to right this very moment.<\/p>\n \u201cLingzhu!\u201d he called out.<\/p>\n Lingzhu was sitting at his table reading a book when he heard Mie\u2019er calling for him. It was something other than \u2018human\u2019 or \u2018stone-face\u2019, and he was a little surprised. Wondering if something was wrong, he turned to look at the doorway Mie\u2019er was standing in. His brow raised ever so slightly on his usually expressionless face.<\/p>\n He wondered if there was something funny on his face as Mie\u2019er laughed and sort of cried, and then laughed again.<\/p>\n Translator\u2019s Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n Names!<\/p>\n Mie’er \u54a9\u513f = \u2018mie’ is the sound of a sheep (think ‘meh-meh’), ‘er’ means ‘child’, so it means something like ‘little sheepie’<\/p>\n Lingzhu \u5464\u7af9 = ‘ling zhu’ means ‘whispering bamboo’<\/p>\n Mie’er’s parents are Lord Guishou and Lady Xilian. They don’t seem to use surnames.<\/p>\n Guishou \u5f52\u5b88 = ‘gui’ is ‘return’, and ‘shou’ is ‘protect\/guard’.<\/p>\n Xilian \u5915\u601c: ‘xi’ is evening, ‘lian’ is ‘longing\/pity’, so it’s something like ‘Sympathy for the Evening’<\/p>\n Xiyu \u5915\u6109: (Lady Xilian\u2019s older sister) ‘xi’ is evening, like her sister, and ‘yu’ means ‘joy\/happy’.<\/p>\n Qing Wangyue \u6e05\u671b\u5cb3 = \u2018Clear Gaze Peak\u2019. He is Qing Lingfeng\u2019s father and (former) Sect Leader of the Border Mountains Sect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mie\u2019er sulked as he sat on a roof.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-hermit-master"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n